Maryland will fully fund Planned Parenthood to make up for federal cuts

Every dollar that the Trump administration takes away from Planned Parenthood in Maryland will be replaced by state funds (about $2.7M), which will save about $6 for every dollar it puts in, because when women are in charge of their own fertility, they don’t end up raising kids they can’t afford.

State lawmakers across the USA are planning to follow suit. Maryland’s Republican state governor Larry Hogan didn’t even try to veto the bill, having seen what happened when federal Republicans tried to take away health care — and women are disproportionately willing to rise up to fight for their rights.

The measure was enacted Thursday after Gov. Larry Hogan decided not to veto the bill. Like 14 other bills, it went into effect after a midnight deadline without the Republican governor’s signature. The Democrat-led General Assembly passed the bill with enough votes to override a veto.

Under the new measure, Maryland will mitigate any federal cuts to Planned Parenthood by directing $2 million from the state’s Medicaid budget and $700,000 for the state’s general fund to family planning services. These measures would sustain operations at the state’s nine health centers and protect access to preventative care services for nearly 25,000 patients.

Karen Nelson, president of Planned Parenthood of Maryland, said the Maryland General Assembly “has done what is necessary to protect our patients who turn to Planned Parenthood for their health care.”